scholarly journals Nesting habitat selection of Peregrine Falcons (Falco p. peregrinus) in Eastern Germany – the state of knowledge

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-273
Author(s):  
Gert Kleinstäuber ◽  
Wolfgang Kirmse ◽  
Torsten Langgemach
Keyword(s):  
Nest Site ◽  
Habitat Choice ◽  
Lattice Structures ◽  
Nesting Habitat ◽  
Eastern Germany ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
The North ◽  
Natal Habitat ◽  
Habitat Fidelity ◽  
Site Types

Abstract After the disappearance of the Peregrine Falcon during the DDT era, the re-colonization of Eastern Germany from 1981 was accompanied by colour-ringing of a high percentage of juveniles and systematic identification of these individuals on their later nest-sites. Before that period there were two geographically distinct subpopulations: tree-breeders in the north, and cliff-breeders in the south. We were able to restore the tree breeders’ tradition by imprinting nestlings at stick nests in forests. Today, besides cliff- and tree-breeders there are also nest-sites on buildings and lattice structures. The population is increasing including all nest-site types. Here, we analyse nesting habitat choice with respect to the natal habitat of birds. The exchange between the four nest-site types is limited. Habitat fidelity was high in birds fledged on cliffs (95%) and on buildings (81%). The sample size for lattice structures is still too low for deeper analyses. The fixation towards trees was stable only in 56% of birds, and higher for males than for females. The influx from other habitat types is very limited and hardly supports the tree breeders’ subpopulation. A growing number of tree-breeders go along with higher habitat fidelity which is stabilizing their sub-population.

scholarly journals Understanding resource driven female–female competition: ovary and liver size in sand gobies

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 190886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurora García-Berro ◽  
Johanna Yliportimo ◽  
Kai Lindström ◽  
Charlotta Kvarnemo
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Operational Sex Ratio ◽  
Female Competition ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
The Baltic

The operational sex ratio (OSR, ready-to-mate males to females) is a key factor determining mating competition. A shortage of a resource essential for reproduction of one sex can affect OSR and lead to competition within the opposite sex for resource-holding mates. In the sand goby ( Pomatoschistus minutus ), a fish with paternal care, male readiness to mate depends on acquiring a nest-site, whereas food abundance primarily impacts female egg production. Comparing body condition and gonadal investment of fish from two populations with different availability in resources (Baltic Sea: few nest-sites, more food; North Sea: many nest-sites, less food), we predicted females carrying more mature eggs in the Baltic Sea than in the North Sea. As predicted, ovaries were larger in Baltic Sea females, and so was the liver (storage of energy reserves and vitellogenic compounds) for both sexes, but particularly for females. More females were judged (based on roundness scores) to be ready to spawn in the Baltic Sea. Together with a nest colonization experiment confirming a previously documented difference between the two areas in nest-site availability, these results indicate a more female-biased OSR in the Baltic Sea population, compared to the North Sea, and generates a prediction that female–female competition for mating opportunities is stronger in the Baltic population. To our knowledge, this is the first time that female reproductive investment is discussed in relation to OSR using field data.

Nest-site selection by the Swainson's Hawk on the Regina plain, Saskatchewan

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 1887-1890
Author(s):  
Laura C. Groskorth
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Nesting Habitat ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Buteo Swainsoni ◽  
Trees And Shrubs ◽  
Habitat Variables

Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) nest sites on the Regina plain were compared with randomly selected sites. Various immediate and surrounding habitat variables were examined to determine whether this hawk shows a preference for nesting habitat. Results showed that hawks selected nest sites with significantly less surrounding wheatland and more surrounding grassland, trees, and shrubs than random sites. Nest sites were also farther from buildings and water and closer to larger communities than random sites. These results suggest that this hawk selects nest sites least affected by agriculture.

Nest-site selection of a subarctic-breeding shorebird: evidence for tree avoidance without fitness consequences

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (9) ◽  
pp. 573-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.I. Holmes ◽  
L. Koloski ◽  
E. Nol
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Vegetation Change ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
The North ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Site Characteristics

Vegetation communities in the subarctic are at risk of change due to climate-driven tree and shrub encroachment. Vegetation change may lead to unsuitable habitat for arctic-breeding birds, many of whom are declining. Although many possible factors are contributing to their decline, loss of breeding habitat could be a major contributor. We examined nest-site selection in Dunlin (Calidris alpina hudsonia (Todd, 1953)), a shorebird that nests in open fen habitats in the Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, region. Our objective was to determine whether this species avoids treed habitats and the possible fitness consequences for this. We examined the role of vegetative horizontal and vertical concealments on nest-site selection and nest fate. Dunlin selected nest sites with lower densities of trees than present at unused sites (40 m radius). Both horizontal and vertical concealments were significantly greater at nests than at unused sites, and horizontal concealment was greatest in the north. No measure of tree density or height, or concealment, significantly predicted nest fate. Although Dunlin appear to select nest sites that may minimize exposure to northerly winds and that may provide cover against potential predators, the current nest-site characteristics are not reinforced by contemporary selection.

scholarly journals Changes in the nest sites of White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) in Hungary

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-88
Author(s):  
Adrienn Gyalus ◽  
Zsolt Végvári ◽  
Tibor Csörgő
Keyword(s):  
Nest Site ◽  
White Stork ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Site Preferences ◽  
Habitat Analysis ◽  
White Storks ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Nest Site Preferences ◽  
Site Types

Abstract The breeding strategies of the White Stork changed drastically during the past decades: a decreasing number of individuals nest on traditional nest sites – trees, roofs, chimneys, whereas electricity poles are increasingly selected. Here we analysed long-term breeding data of White Storks breeding in six Hungarian counties to detect patterns in nest site preferences in Hungary. According to our results, the shift to preference for electricity poles was shown at the same rate in every county, independently from the proportion of original nest sites. After 2000, although electricity poles dominated everywhere, the proportion of nest on poles without platform increased, despite the abundance of available empty platforms. To explain this pattern, we propose that White Storks show a preference for viewpoints, thus choosing to breed as near as possible to optimal habitats, regardless of nest site types. Therefore, conservation measures concerning the nest sites of this species should include preliminary habitat analysis.

The importance of grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea preissii) as habitat for mardo (Antechinus flavipes leucogaster) during post-fire recovery

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marnie L. Swinburn ◽  
Patricia A. Fleming ◽  
Michael D. Craig ◽  
Andrew H. Grigg ◽  
Mark J. Garkaklis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fire Management ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Important Resource ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Single Feature ◽  
Management Policies ◽  
Nesting Resources ◽  
Selection For ◽  
The One

Grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea) are an important structural component of many Australian ecosystems and also an important resource for many fauna species. Grasstrees have distinctive morphologies, with a crown of long thin leaves and skirts, the latter of which are accumulated dead leaves; both are incinerated by fire. This study determined the morphological features of Xanthorrhoea preissii, which change in response to fire from 6 months to 21 years post-burn. In addition, using radio-telemetry and spool-tracking, we determined that grasstrees are utilised as foraging and nesting resources for mardos (Antechinus flavipes leucogaster (Gray, 1841), Marsupialia: Dasyuridae). Recently burnt grasstrees (6 months post-burn) appeared not to be used by mardos at all. We found few mardos in these recently burnt sites, and the one individual we managed to track for 126 m utilised only a single grasstree: a 2-m-tall multiple-crowned grasstree that had escaped the fire was used as a nest site. For sites 5 years post-burn, mardos selectively utilised grasstrees with larger crown areas and those with a greater number of crowns compared with a random sample of available trees. At the 14-year post-burn sites, mardos still demonstrated some selection for grasstrees, although no specific single feature could be determined as most significant. We recorded humidity and temperature buffering effects in association with post-burn accumulation of grasstree skirt material and found that even dead grasstree ‘logs’ were an important resource for nests. We conclude that mardos utilise both live and dead grasstrees for foraging and nest sites, possibly owing to the availability of dense cover, a buffered microclimate, and potentially also food resources. Fire-management policies that promote habitat heterogeneity and retain several intact-skirted grasstrees within the landscape are likely to benefit mardos.

Long-term vegetation changes in a Snow Goose nesting habitat

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 965-969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Ganter ◽  
Fred Cooke ◽  
Pierre Mineau
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Nesting Habitat ◽  
Snow Goose ◽  
Brood Rearing ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Bare Sediment ◽  
Snow Geese

Vegetation in a small section of nesting habitat in a Lesser Snow Goose colony was mapped in 1976 and again in 1993. During the 17-year period, ground cover changed dramatically from being dominated by salt-marsh graminoids and short grasses to being dominated by willows and areas of bare sediment. Lyme grass, Elymus arenarius, a plant strongly favoured by Snow Geese when selecting their nest sites, which covered 15% of the ground in 1976, had completely disappeared by 1993. Although the area had contained 79 Snow Goose nests in 1976, no nests remained in 1993. Degradation of the nesting habitat is caused by foraging activities of the geese themselves during the prenesting and nesting phase: salt-marsh graminoids and short grasses are removed by grubbing and the sediment is exposed; E. arenarius plants are removed by shoot pulling. Both clutch size and hatching success can be negatively affected by the decline in available food plants, and, presumably as a consequence, the area was abandoned by breeding geese. This habitat destruction and subsequent abandonment of nesting areas by breeding geese is a process similar to that documented for brood-rearing areas of Lesser Snow Geese.

Social context alters retreat- and nest-site selection in a globally invasive gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus

2019 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 388-397
Author(s):  
Benjamin J Muller ◽  
Robin M Andrews ◽  
Lin Schwarzkopf ◽  
David A Pike
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Gravid Female ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Ceramic Tiles ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Gravid Females ◽  
Hemidactylus Frenatus

Abstract Microhabitat orientation and structure and the presence of conspecifics may strongly influence the choice of habitat. We studied how these variables influence retreat- and nest-site selection in gravid females of a globally successful invasive species, the Asian house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus). When provided with various substrates (vertical and horizontal ceramic tiles, vertical and horizontal plywood tiles, horizontal bark over leaf litter, vertical bark over a log, and sand) gravid female geckos preferred to retreat to, and nest in, materials with crevices commonly found in urban habitats. When housed alone, gravid females most frequently retreated to vertical ceramic tile or wooden crevices, and 66.7% nested in vertical ceramic tiles. When housed with two other conspecifics, gravid females most frequently retreated to vertical ceramic tiles, but selected a wider range of nest sites. Overall, gravid geckos housed alone typically nested in the same substrates that they used as diurnal retreats; when housed in groups, however, females oviposited in locations different from those they selected as retreats. Thus, H. frenatus females use a wider range of substrates when conspecifics are present. Invasion success in this species might be driven, in part, by preferences for retreat and nest substrates that are common in human-dominated habitats.

Spawning Behavior of Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) and Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri)

1975 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 633-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Tautz ◽  
C. Groot
Keyword(s):  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Chum Salmon ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Salmo Gairdneri ◽  
Oncorhynchus Keta ◽  
Spawning Behavior ◽  
Current Pattern ◽  
Chum Salmon Oncorhynchus Keta ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Gravel Size

Detailed accounts of the spawning behavior of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) and rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) in laboratory flumes are provided. The behavioral activities, quivering, probing, and crossing over increase in frequency as a function of time prior to spawning whereas digging remains constant or decreases slightly. Maps of digging locations and movie films suggest nest shape and current pattern are monitored by the female, allowing her to intensify her digging activity near the center of the nest. Probing appears to be a signal to the male indicating approach of oviposition and also provides information to the female regarding the shape and suitability of the nest site. The probing act is also used in the synchronization of the male and female spawning acts. Changes in velocity do not appear to markedly affect nest construction either in terms of number of digs to oviposition or in size of nest constructed. It is inferred that velocity and gravel size are important insofar as they influence the construction of a suitable nest depression. Nest sites would appear to be selected on the basis of acceleration of flow rather than velocity per se though high limits must obviously exist.

Nest-site selection in the barn swallow, Hirundo rustica: What predicts seasonal reproductive success?

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (11) ◽  
pp. 1533-1539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Jo Safran
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Hirundo Rustica ◽  
Barn Swallow ◽  
Nest Location ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Site Characteristics

Despite hundreds of studies, we know very little about the causes and fitness-related consequences of nest-site selection. For example, it is not typically known whether the rarely reported fitness consequences of site selection are the result of nest, individual, or nest-site variables or combinations of these factors. Reuse of previously constructed nest sites is a prevalent behavior in many animals and offers the opportunity to experimentally tease apart whether seasonal reproductive success is a function of nest, individual, or nest-site characteristics. I used observational and experimental data to test three hypotheses related to these factors in association with barn swallow ( Hirundo rustica L., 1758) nest reuse. While both nest and individual characteristics explain variation in seasonal reproductive success, nest location per se is not an important factor defining the outcome of nest-site selection. Whereas traits related to habitat and individual characteristics are likely confounded in correlational studies, my experiments demonstrate a causal relationship between seasonal reproductive success and aspects of the nest and individual, the latter explaining more variation in the model than nest characteristics. Knowledge of the relative roles of individual, nest, and nest-site attributes are important for understanding the causes and consequences of habitat selection behavior.

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